Coronavirus (Covid-19) and ROW Adventures

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update

This page is updated as needed as we monitor the ever-changing Coronavirus situation.

These are challenging days for many in the world. We ask that you please consider supporting ROW Adventures, and the vulnerable tourism industry, by rescheduling your trip rather than cancelling. Your support helps not only our team in the U.S., but our partners around the world, including the communities where we operate. We are so grateful to our loyal community of travelers who are telling us that they still want to travel – just not right now. When you are ready to join us again in a new era of travel, we are here for you. There will, of course, be changes in how we operate, but our mission of Sharing Nature–Enriching Lives continues to motivate us and we remain as committed as ever to sharing this marvelous world through travel.

Decision Timeframe: With all of the uncertainties in the world today, for the health of our guests and our team members we are postponing most of our trips through May 31, 2020. For trips in the USA and Canada beyond that date, we are making decisions on a 30-day rolling date timeframe. These decisions will be driven by what we see as our responsible role in the fight against COVID-19 as well as abiding by local, regional and national directives. For our shorter one or two-day trips and in other specific cases, we may delay our determination until 14 days prior to departure. For trips outside the USA or Canada, our goal is to make decisions 45 days in advance.

A short note from Founder Peter Grubb

We know that we are not alone in our struggles, and we so appreciate everyone that has reached out to us during this time. We want to express our gratitude to all the frontline health care workers who are fighting for us all. Also, to those in other essential services that continue to provide the services we all need. Thank you.

For 41 years ROW Adventures and our sister companies, Adventure Unbound, Sea Kayak Adventures and River Dance Lodge, have been sharing the joy of meaningful, life-enriching travel. We’ve been through a number of difficult times, but like most people, have never experienced anything that has impacted so many people in so many ways, all around the globe.

We want to reassure you that our first priority is the health and wellbeing of our guests, our employees and our greater travel community. We are in constant contact with our local guides and staff to keep current of changes as they occur.

As a family owned and operated company, we are doing our best to make sound decisions that are fair, and in the best interest of everyone. We thank you for navigating these difficult times with us. Thank you for valuing travel and the positive changes it provides the world. For those looking for a summer get-away, River Dance Lodge will be open as of May 22. As noted below, we plan to begin operations of our rafting trips in June and summer sea kayaking in July.

We have had several offers from guests to pay in full for trips they have reserved for late 2020 and 2021. They tell us: “We love ROW Adventures, and we want to be sure you will be there to continue providing the much-needed and appreciated vacation experiences that mean so much to us.” These calls bring hope and tears of gratitude to our entire team.

As we find our path, I am reminded of the words of Henry Kissinger who said: “A diamond is a chunk of coal that did well under pressure.”

May we all find the diamonds within us and our communities.

– Peter Grubb, Founder

FAQ’s Specific to the Current Coronavirus Situation

Are you still operating your trips?

For trips in the United States through May 31, various governmental regulations have caused us to postpone operations. After May 31, we plan to run our rafting and sea kayaking trips as scheduled unless local conditions or regulations prevent that. The decision timeframe is explained above. As well, when we resume operations, we will do so with added precautions.

We plan to open River Dance Lodge May 22, 2020 in accordance with guidelines issued by the State of Idaho.

Due to restrictions from the Ecuadorian government, we have postponed trips in the Galapagos Islands until June 30, 2020. For those with Galapagos trips from now through June 30, 2020, we are offering a full credit to transfer to another Galapagos trip through March 31, 2021. We have also suspended operations to other South American countries through June 30, 2020. We already have, or will be, contacting anyone with a trip to South America during this time.

What if I'm booked on a trip in the USA or Canada between June 1 and September 20, 2020?

Our goal is to provide you the time and information you need to make a decision that fits you best. If you wish to postpone your USA or Canada-based trip, you can transfer to another date prior to final payment, without penalty.

Have you changed the balance due date for trips due to COVID-19?

Yes. In order to provide you more flexibility, the final balance for trips for the rest of the 2020 season are as follows:

For trips lasting 3 or more days on the Snake, Middle Fork of the Salmon, Rogue, Salmon River Canyons, Upper Missouri, Deschutes and Lochsa and, or kayaking and whale watching trips in Canada (BC & Quebec):

Final balance is now due 30 days prior to departure rather than 60 days.

For trips lasting 1-2 days:

​Final balance date is 14 days prior to departure rather than 30 days.

Trips outside the USA and Canada* with Adventure Unbound :

Final balance is now due 75 days prior to departure rather than 90 days.

Galapagos trips with ROW or Adventure Unbound:

Final balance is still due 90 days prior to departure.

Will travel insurance protect my vacation investment?

We will not be able to offer any refunds or credits outside of the terms and conditions listed here. Thus, we highly recommend you purchase travel insurance if you have not yet. You can learn more about coverage as it relates to the Coronavirus here.

With the current Coronavirus situation, you may want to consider the “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage. This is more expensive than regular coverage and, covers only 75% of the nonrefundable portion of your trip, but may the right choice for you. This coverage must be purchased within 21 days of paying your initial deposit.

What if I am unable to travel at the time of my trip departure due to a travel ban, or restrictions imposed by federal, state or local government authorities?

If an official travel ban has been issued that does not allow you to travel to or from your point of origin, ROW Adventures and our Family of Companies, will allow you to use the full value of your payments as a credit for a future trip as follows:

For trips with ROW in the USA, you may apply this credit to any of our trips in the USA for any available departure through 2022. Once an alternate trip is booked, it is subject to standard cancellation policies. No refunds for any unused portion of credit will be given. The full value of the credit must be applied to a new reservation prior to December 31, 2021.

For any trips with Sea Kayak Adventures in British Columbia (BC), you may apply this credit to any of our sea kayak trips in either BC or Baja, for any available departure through 2022. Once an alternate trip is booked, it is subject to standard cancellation policies. No refunds for any unused portion of credit will be given. The full value of the credit must be applied to a new reservation prior to December 31, 2021.

For trips with Sea Kayak Adventures or Adventure Unbound, outside of the USA and BC, we can provide the full value that you've paid us as credit towards another trip prior to Dec. 31, 2022. This credit must be applied to a new reservation prior to December 31, 2021. Please bear in mind that tours outside of the USA and BC are operated with affiliate operators that are often small businesses supporting local guides, local accommodations, transportation services, etc. and we are proud that our tours support these businesses and communities. We pay for these services well in advance of your tour. If you do not want a credit, but rather, a refund, we will do our best to recover as much of your trip payment as possible and refund these funds to you.

If ROW chooses to postpone a trip, or has no choice and must do so due to closure by a federal, state or local authority, governmental intervention, and we do not provide an alternate trip*, we offer you the following options:

For all trips in the USA; BC, Canada; or Baja, Mexico; ROW or Sea Kayak Adventures will issue you a credit equal to 110% of any trip payments you have made (not including services provided by other companies such as air carriers, hotels, etc. nor any travel insurance premiums). This credit can be used for another trip through 2022. Once an alternate trip is booked, it is subject to standard cancellation policies. The full value of the credit must be applied to a new reservation prior to December 31, 2021.

Example A: You have paid a $400 deposit for a rafting or kayaking trip in July 2020. The trip is postponed prior to the 30-day final payment due date. We credit you $440 (110%) towards a future trip.

Example B: You have paid in full a total of $2500 as deposit and final payment, within the final payment time period for your trip. 20 days prior to the trip we receive notice from authorities that we cannot operate the trip as planned. You receive a credit $2750 to use for a future ROW trip through 2022.

For tours in destinations other than the USA; BC, Canada; or Mexico, we will issue a credit towards a future trip through the end of 2022. The full value of the credit must be applied to a new reservation prior to December 31, 2021. Or, we will issue a refund of your land tour cost, less any unrecoverable costs. (Example, a force majeure situation such as an earthquake, strikes your destination. We are unable to recover monies paid to a local hotel, local operator, transportation company, etc. Those costs would not be refunded.)

For Galapagos or other trips in South America: Please see above.

* We reserve the right to offer an alternate trip or itinerary that matches the date and gateway city of the original trip. Should you choose not to participate, this is treated as a cancellation. (Example: A forest fire prevents us from operating our August 23 Middle Fork Salmon rafting trip. We provide an alternative trip on the Lower Salmon River Canyons and provide transportation to/from Boise, Idaho which is the original gateway city. If you choose not to go on this alternative trip, you are choosing to cancel and our cancellation policy applies.)

If I cancel or change my departure, or ROW cancels my trip, will ROW cover my costs for pre or post-trip flights, car rentals, hotels or other associated trip expenses?

In the event of any cancellation or rescheduled trip, you are responsible for cancellation or change fees related to rental cars, pre or post-trip flights, hotels, etc.

What should I do if I’m booked on a trip but health concerns make me wonder if I should travel?

If you are unsure whether to travel due to health concerns, we recommend you consult with your physician. We also highly recommend purchasing CFAR (Cancel for any Reason) insurance.

Please email your Adventure Consultant, or gives us a call at 1-208-765-0841 if you have any questions about the policies specific to your trip and the area(s) you are visiting. Ultimately, if we do not cancel a trip, the decision to travel is up to you.

What if I’m considering making a new reservation?

Book with Confidence - To confirm your trip, a deposit is required within 72 hours of making your reservation. Your deposit is fully refundable up to 10 days after you book when you sign up 10 days or more before final payment due date (does not apply to Private or Custom Trips).

In order to provide our guests with more time to make their travel decisions, for trips through August 31, 2020, we will not require final payment for scheduled departures until 30 days prior to your departure (previously 60 days). Please call us, we’re here to answer all of your questions.

Please understand that because the COVID-19 situation is changing daily and unpredictable, we reserve the right to change these policies without prior notice. However, the terms and conditions that were in place at the time of your reservation will apply.

By Peter Grubb

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